This page contains official policy statements by the AMIEU for public and media reference.
Live Export
The AMIEU believes that local processing of cattle is the only way to keep Australian communities strong and healthy.
By processing animals in Australia, local workers benefit, which supports local communities and helps to keep regional Australia strong.
To learn more about live export and how it hurts meat workers, please read our fact sheet (PDF).
We also encourage you to read the economic modelling published in 2009, 2012 and 2018, all showing how local processing would provide massively increased value to regional economies and create more jobs than live export.
You can also click here to read articles we have published about live export.
Animal Welfare
The AMIEU condemns absolutely any cruel treatment of animals whether during the transportation of or processing for meat production.
The AMIEU supports the safe and humane handling of animals, during transportation and unloading of livestock, the construction of races and holding yards or other infrastructure that facilitates the smooth movement of animals involving the least amount of stress, the handling of animals that involves the least amount of prodding or handling, and that animals are either stunned or rendered fully unconscious prior to slaughter.
The AMIEU welcomes any improvements made by employers to facilitate the humane treatment of animals and undertakes to actively promote and to encourage AMIEU members to work strictly in accordance with the animal handling policies and procedures set out and provided by the employer at each site.
If no policies and procedures are set out by a particular employer for the humane treatment of animals the AMIEU will promote and encourage its members to al all times handle animals in such a fashion that ensures that animals are not harmed or mistreated in any way.
If production levels cannot be maintained or are adversely affected at a particular site by the observance of this policy then the AMIEU undertakes to actively co-operate with that particular employer in the implementation of new technology, upgrading of facilities or new animal handling methods that are designed to ensure the humane treatment of animals.